U.S. Under-17 MNT Kicks Off Eighth Year of U.S. Soccer's Full-Time Residency Program

U-17 MNTJan 6, 2006

40-Man Roster Includes Players Born in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991;Residency Program Has Produced Nearly 40 Professional Players

CHICAGO (January 6, 2006) — The eighth year of U.S. Soccer’s Full-Time Residency Program kicks off on Sunday, Jan. 8, as 40 players arrive at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The players will conduct their first training session two days later on Tuesday, Jan 10.

The 40-player roster consists of players born in 1988, 1989, 1990 and 1991. The majority of the players (28) were born in 1990 or later and are just beginning the two-year cycle towards the next FIFA U-17 World Championship in 2007, which will take place in South Korea.

In all, 25 players are returning to the residency program for at least their second semester, while 15 players will be beginning their first year under the instruction of U.S. Under-17 MNT head coach John Hackworth. Of the returning players, 13 were born in 1990 and will be starting their second semester, 10 were born in 1989 and two – Jeremy Hall and Eric Lichaj – were born in 1988. Hall and Lichaj were both part of the last World Championship player pool (Lichaj didn’t make the roster due to injury), but are returning for one more semester to graduate from high school before beginning college in the fall.

Hackworth and the U-17 staff selected the 40 players after an expansive search for the best players in the nation. To complement the scouting they performed throughout the year and ensure they identified the top players in the extensive player pool, the coaching staff got an in-depth and personal view of possible candidates by inviting them into camps. During the final two months of the year, more than 50 players born in 1990 or later (not including the 13 already in Residency), were invited into a mini camp in Bradenton, the Thanksgiving Interregional Event in Austin, Texas, or the 2005 Nike Friendlies.

A complete explanation of the scouting process undertaken by the U-17 coaching staff, including all_access video and a podcast interview (listen) with Hackworth.

“In the past, finding the best players has always been a little tough because you’re basing your decisions on watching players with their club teams,” said Hackworth. “It is much different when you have them with you in the national team camp, have them in training and when you put them in game situations and they put on a national team jersey. Getting a chance to see these kids perform as part of the U-17s has been invaluable in terms of picking out the best players for the Residency Program.”

Started in 1999, the U.S. Soccer full-time residency program has become a symbol of U.S. Soccer’s dedication to producing development opportunities for players and the success of the Youth National Teams. With the successes of the U.S. Under-17 MNT during the first few years, the number of players invited into the full-time Residency Program was doubled from 20 to 40, adding 10 additional players in both fall semesters of 2002 and 2003. U.S. Soccer has been able to increase the number of players enrolled in the program to provide greater opportunities for young players and increase its investment in player development.

The 40 U.S. players live on campus at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., and attend classes at nearby Edison Academy in the morning. In the afternoon, the players return to the IMG campus to train daily under the guidance of Hackworth and assistant coaches Keith Fulk, Raul Diaz Arce, Tim Mulqueen and Brian Maisonneuve. With 40 players in residency, the program is able to field two full teams that train together during the week, and get the chance to compete against club, college and international teams on the weekends.

"The residency program has given our players an excellent opportunity to grow and move up the ladder in the world of soccer and become professionals in Major League Soccer, some of the biggest clubs in Europe and even make an impact on the full U.S. Men's National Team,” said Hackworth. “We will look to continue this progress here in Bradenton by providing the players with an environment where they can prosper as individual players and gel as a team, crucial elements that have allowed for a positive move forward for all of our men's national team programs."

Since its inception, 170 players have been through the full-time Residency Program, and just under 40 of those players have moved on to Major League Soccer, or the professional leagues in Europe. Ten players have also registered at least one cap with the full MNT: DaMarcus Beasley, Landon Donovan, Bobby Convey, Eddie Johnson, Oguchi Onyewu, Santino Quaranta, Chad Marshall, Eddie Gaven, Jonathan Spector and Heath Pearce. Beasley and Donovan both started in the 2002 FIFA World Cup as 20-year-olds.

“The residency program gives our elite players the opportunity to train in a professional environment and to develop in a way they would not otherwise be able to develop,” said U.S. Men’s National Team manager Bruce Arena. “I think that in the future you will continue to see the positive results of this program on the soccer field.”

In its first year of existence, the U.S. Soccer Residency Program enrolled 20 of the elite players in the country to train together in Bradenton and produced instant success as the Under-17s qualified for the FIFA Under-17 World Championship in New Zealand in November of 1999. On the world stage, the American teenagers rose to the occasion, winning their group and advancing to the semifinals before being ousted in a penalty shootout. The fourth-place finish tied for the best showing by a U.S. Youth National Team in a major international competition. Also, U.S. stars Donovan and Beasley were awarded the Gold and Silver Balls, respectively, as the top two players in the entire tournament.

After struggling in the “Group of Death” two years later, the U.S. bounced back with back-to-back fifth place finishes in the following two FIFA U-17 World Championships in 2003 and 2005. This past September at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Championship the U.S. went undefeated in group play to win their group for just the third time in 11 appearances, and the first time since 1999.